Heirloom Seeds and Plants – please share your recommendations!

I’ve received several requests for information regarding ‘whichheirloom varieties grow best in our Chicagoland area climate’. This blog on the website is to collect information on YOUR recommendations and experiences growing heirloom seeds and plants in the Chicago area. I am specifically looking for information on vegetables and herbs, but flowers, etc. would be great too. All the submissions will be collected and translated into a database, which will be posted on the site for your use. Please supply:

type of plant (tomato for example)

name of variety (Cherokee Purple for example)

method of planting used(seed or plant – if plant, store bought or self-sowed)